1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device, formed as an integral part of a printer or copier, which receives fresh individual sheets, on an as needed basis, and supplies these sheets to the printing portion of a printer to be printed. The invention also relates to a method of receiving fresh individual sheets, on an as needed basis, and supplying them to the printing portion of a printer to be printed.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in paper processing or printing machines, for example printers or copiers, to store individual sheets in a drawer which can be filled up by hand. One disadvantage of machines of this type, particularly in the case of high-speed machines, is to be seen in that an operator must be continually ready to fill up the drawer again with a stack of individual sheets by hand. Another disadvantage associated with this is the stoppage times until the drawer is filled up again. The performance of such a machine may thereby be restricted considerably.
The publication EP 0,537,596 A2 discloses a copier having an intake interface for an external input compartment. This external input compartment is designed as a lift platform, on which individual sheets are fed in a stacked arrangement to the intake interface. A lift platform of this type is also designated as an xe2x80x9celevator platformxe2x80x9d. The feed device disclosed in the publication is suitable for being arranged at the intake interface for the external input compartment, in order to replace the existing lift platform. A disadvantage of this known feed device is that it is suitable only to be arranged at the intake interface for the external input compartment.
The term xe2x80x9cprinterxe2x80x9d refers below to a machine which prints and/or processes papers, and a printer of this type may be designed, for example, as a high-speed printer, a copier or a laser printer. The term xe2x80x9cinternal input compartmentxe2x80x9d refers below to an input compartment for individual sheets which is arranged within the printer and which is also conventionally designated as a cassette or drawer.
The object on which the invention is based is to provide an economically more advantageous device for feeding individual sheets to a printer.
The object is achieved, in particular, by means of a cassette or drawer for receiving individual sheets, comprising a conveying means for delivering the individual sheets and a jogging device for forming a stack from the delivered individual sheets, the conveying means and the jogging device being designed to interact in such a way that the individual sheets are fed to the stack from below, and the jogging device being arranged in such a way that, with the cassette or drawer inserted in the printer, the upper part of the stack comes to rest in a position provided for paper offtake.
An extraction device adapted to the cassette is also designated as a xe2x80x9ccassette type feed apparatusxe2x80x9d.
One advantage of the device according to the invention is to be seen in that a printer having an internal input compartment can be operated continuously, and without interruption, with the drawer or cassette according to the invention, since the individual sheets can be fed continuously and, in particular, also at a very high rate. Moreover, there is no need for an operator who lays the individual sheets into the drawer or cassette of the printer.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the device according to the invention is designed in such a way that it can be coupled to an existing, older printer. A printer hitherto capable of being supplied with individual sheets only by means of a drawer may thereby be modified in such a way that an automatic sheet feed can be implemented. In this case, the device according to the invention is designed in such a way that, being designed as a separate device or as part of the drawer, it holds a stack of individual sheets in the printer in a position provided for paper offtake, the individual sheets being delivered from outside the printer by a conveying means and being fed automatically to the stack.
One advantage of the device according to the invention is to be seen in that even a printer in which no interface is provided for an automatic feed of individual sheets can be modified in such a way that an automatic feed of individual sheets is possible. The device according to the invention produces a stack consisting of individual sheets in the stack well of the printer, the stack constantly having paper during operation, so that the printer can be operated without interruption. There is preferably no need for any modifications on the printer. The printer always assumes that a full stack of individual sheets is available.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the feed device is arranged in a drawer, in such a way that an existing conventional drawer can be exchanged for the new drawer comprising the feed device. The individual sheets to be fed from outside are preferably fed to the feed device through an already existing orifice in the printer, so that an existing printer can be provided with an automatic feed device cost-effectively and quickly. The feed device arranged in the drawer or the feed device forming part of the drawer can be pulled out and serviced in a simple way.